This invention relates to bilayer systems employing polydimethyl-glutarimide compositions and methods of imaging the same.
The extension of photolithography to less than 50 nanometer (nm) features is seriously being considered by combining water immersion lithography with double exposure (DE) or double patterning (DP) processes since EUV lithography is not ready to be implemented and high index immersion lithography has not proved to be a viable alternative. However, DE and DP processes are costly and reduce wafer throughput. In addition, an antireflection coating (ARC) is used in these processes and plays a very important role in photolithography at these dimensions. The ARC is typically crosslinked so as to prevent interfacial mixing upon coating of a photoresist layer thereon, which subsequently has to be removed by plasma etching after development of the photoresist. The plasma etching process to remove the ARC after development of the photoresist adds to the overall manufacturing cost.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved processes and materials for extending photolithography to less than 50 nm features that are commercially viable.